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Flawless
- Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History
- Narrated by: Don Hagen
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
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Publisher's summary
On February 15, 2003, a group of thieves broke into an allegedly airtight vault in the international diamond capital of Antwerp, Belgium and made off with over $108 million dollars worth of diamonds and other valuables. They did so without tripping an alarm or injuring a single guard in the process.
Although the crime was perfect, the getaway was not. The police zeroed in on a band of professional thieves fronted by Leonardo Notarbartolo, a dapper Italian who had rented an office in the Diamond Center and clandestinely cased its vault for over two years. The who of the crime had been answered, but the how remained largely a mystery.
Enter Scott Andrew Selby, a Harvard Law grad and diamond expert, and Greg Campbell, author of Blood Diamonds, who undertook a global goose chase to uncover the true story behind the daring heist. Tracking the threads of the story throughout Europe from Belgium to Italy, in seedy cafes and sleek diamond offices, the authors sorted through an array of conflicting details, divergent opinions and incongruous theories to put together the puzzle of what actually happened that Valentines Day weekend.
This real-life Ocean's Eleven, a combination of diamond history, journalistic reportage, and riveting true-crime story, provides a thrilling in-depth study detailing the better-than-fiction heist of the century.
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On July 27, 1996, a hapless former cop turned hypervigilant security guard named Richard Jewell spotted a suspicious bag in Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park, the town square of the 1996 Summer Games. Inside was a bomb, the largest of its kind in FBI and ATF history. Minutes later, the bomb remotely detonated by the attacker amid a crowd of 50,000 people. But thanks to Jewell, it only killed two and wounded 111, not the hundreds who authorities estimated could have otherwise died. With the eyes of the world on Atlanta, the games continued.
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Kudos !
- By Tyree on 11-24-19
By: Kent Alexander, and others
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The Year of Dangerous Days
- Riots, Refugees, and Cocaine in Miami 1980
- By: Nicholas Griffin
- Narrated by: Pete Simonelli
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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In the tradition of The Wire, the “utterly absorbing” (The New York Times) story of the cinematic transformation of Miami, one of America’s bustling cities - rife with a drug epidemic, a burgeoning refugee crisis, and police brutality - from journalist and award-winning author Nicholas Griffin.
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Forty Years Ago or Yesterday?
- By Anka on 07-20-20
By: Nicholas Griffin
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Binary
- By: Michael Crichton, John Lange
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 4 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Political radical John Wright is plotting an act of mass destruction - and federal agent John Graves has him under surveillance, trying to figure out what the plot is. When a government computer is hacked and a high-security shipment of nerve gas gets hijacked, Graves puts the pieces together - but can he stop Wright from unleashing his weapon before it kills a million people...including the President of the United States?
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Fast paced, explosive, and fun.
- By Eric & Amy Dewey on 08-16-17
By: Michael Crichton, and others
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Dangerous Games
- Sinclair & McCallum, Book 1
- By: Michael Prescott
- Narrated by: Suehyla El Attar
- Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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A killer is using labyrinthine storm drains to dispose of his victims, who are found handcuffed and drowned, washed out of the rain-filled drainage lines like garbage. The crimes compel FBI Agent Tess McCallum to crack the case, but they're touching a nerve in Personal Security Consultant Abby Sinclair. She fears it's the same madman who invaded her nightmares once before. As the two women work with each other to solve the case, tensions rise and tempers flare. And as sure as the rain, a new killing season begins.
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A thrilling ride with great characters!
- By Aaron P. Lazar on 08-20-12
By: Michael Prescott
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City of Fire
- A Novel (Lena Gamble, Book 1)
- By: Robert Ellis
- Narrated by: Renée Raudman
- Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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When a vibrant young woman is found in bed by her hotshot businessman husband, carved from belly to throat with a very sharp knife, the elite Robbery-Homicide Division of the LAPD responds in full force. Best-case scenario for lead Detective Lena Gamble: Nikki Brant's husband killed her, case closed, and on to the next crime scene before the ravenous Hollywood media can get their lurid tabloid machinery up and running.
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incredible
- By A. Koren on 01-29-09
By: Robert Ellis
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Murder Book
- By: Thomas Perry
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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When a sudden crime wave hits several small midwestern towns, the US Attorney for the region calls on Harry Duncan to investigate. An ex-cop known for his unorthodox methods, Duncan is reluctant to go up against a widespread criminal organization—but the attorney in question is Ellen Leicester, the wife who left him fifteen years earlier, and to her, he can't say no.
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Not primo Perry
- By Old Squid on 01-23-23
By: Thomas Perry
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The Ultimatum
- A Jeremy Fisk Novel
- By: Dick Wolf
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim
- Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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When a leaker named Verlyn Merritt releases sensitive documents from the NYPD Intelligence Division to WikiLeaks, some of the deadliest criminals have access to Detective Jeremy Fisk's unlisted home address. Within hours three mysterious assailants arrive at his Sutton Place apartment. Who are they, and why do they want Fisk dead?
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Strong Performance; Likable Characters; So-So Plot
- By Robert on 06-21-15
By: Dick Wolf
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Kingpin
- How One Hacker Took Over the Billion-Dollar Cybercrime Underground
- By: Kevin Poulsen
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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The word spread through the hacking underground like some unstoppable new virus: Someone - some brilliant, audacious crook - had just staged a hostile takeover of an online criminal network that siphoned billions of dollars from the U.S. economy. The FBI rushed to launch an ambitious undercover operation aimed at tracking down this new kingpin. Other agencies around the world deployed dozens of moles and double agents.
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This should be a movie
- By Hijenks on 05-19-15
By: Kevin Poulsen
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Bad Therapist
- Exposure collection
- By: Evan Wright
- Narrated by: Neil Shah
- Length: 4 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Chris Bathum was a respected therapist, addiction specialist, and founder of one of the fastest-growing rehabilitation chains in America. But Bathum was a total fraud: he was a homicidal meth-head with a history of sexually abusing his patients, scamming insurance companies, and eliminating whistle-blowers. Like Rose Stahl. But this intended victim would be his last. Stahl would risk her life to bring down the monster she and so many other people in need had once trusted for their salvation.
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An RX for the rehab industry!!!
- By Leighton Moore on 05-31-19
By: Evan Wright
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The Bricklayer
- A Novel
- By: Noah Boyd
- Narrated by: Michael McConnohie
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Someone gives you a dangerous puzzle to solve, one that may kill you or someone else, and you're about to fail...and there is no other option. No one who can help. No one but the Bricklayer. The Bricklayer is the pulse-pounding novel introducing Steve Vail, one of the most charismatic new heroes to come along in thriller fiction in many years. He's an ex-FBI agent who's been fired for insubordination but is lured back to the Bureau to work a case that has become more unsolvable - and more deadly - by the hour.
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Just silly
- By Jen on 04-22-12
By: Noah Boyd
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Cullotta
- By: Dennis N. Griffin, Frank Cullotta
- Narrated by: Michael Taylor
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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From burglary to armed robbery and murder, infamous bad guy Frank Cullotta not only did it all, in Cullotta he admits to it - and in graphic detail. This no-holds-barred biography chronicles the life of a career criminal who started out as a thug on the streets of Chicago and became a trusted lieutenant in Tony Spilotro's gang of organized lawbreakers in Las Vegas. Cullotta's was a world of high-profile heists, street muscle, and information - lots of it - about many of the FBI's most wanted.
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Great story, silly narrator
- By Tom Mainella II on 04-20-15
By: Dennis N. Griffin, and others
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U.S. Marshals
- Inside America's Most Storied Law Enforcement Agency
- By: Mike Earp, David Fisher
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Blending history and memoir, retired U.S. Marshal Mike Earp - a descendant of the legendary lawman Wyatt Earp - offers an exclusive and fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the most storied law enforcement agency in America, illuminating its vital role in the nation's development for more than two hundred years. Setting his own experiences within the long history of the U.S. Marshals service, Earp offers a moving and illuminating tribute to the brave marshals who have dedicated their lives to keeping the nation safe.
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Boring, history of the bureaucracy
- By Lake Like A Local on 03-15-21
By: Mike Earp, and others
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The Grey Men
- Pursuing the Stasi into the Present
- By: Ralph Hope
- Narrated by: B. J. Harrison
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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By 1990, the Berlin Wall had fallen and the East German state security service folded. During 40 years, they had amassed more than a billion pages in manila files detailing the lives of their citizens. Overnight, almost 100,000 Stasi employees, many of them experienced officers with access to highly personal information, found themselves unemployed. This is the story of what they did next.
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Very Enlightening
- By Katy on 07-09-22
By: Ralph Hope
What listeners say about Flawless
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Amazon Customer
- 01-21-15
One little mistake
the story is extraordinary, what is more extraordinary is that a group of master thieves would make a series of OPSEC mistakes that would undo everything.
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- Rob Alderman
- 11-28-23
Bungling Thieves
This was a well written story. It is a shame that the diamonds were not recovered.
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- Scott
- 10-09-13
Very entertaining! A great listen!
Nicely told and fascinating. Highly recommended. The reading is very good--not flashy, but well-paced, and quite professional. The story is nothing short of amazing, and the telling is amusing, entertaining, and intriguing. The writing style is crisp, fun, and adult. A great listen.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Dianne
- 09-24-10
Brilliant!
This is a terrific book! Written in a really vivid style, I felt like I was watching when the heist occurred. It was informative, but not in a boring way. Fascinating throughout.
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1 person found this helpful
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- boisebob
- 04-30-13
Flawless non-fiction
What did you love best about Flawless?
Excellent reporting. Obviously a lot of hard work by the author to choose the puzzle pieces that fit and put forth a credible narrative.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Leonardo, what a smooth fella; other people have compared this heist to Ocean's Eleven, if so, Clooney would play him.
Which character – as performed by Don Hagen – was your favorite?
No characters were dramatized.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
The close to perfect crime.
Any additional comments?
I am a fan of true crime and this is one of the best that I've read or listened to.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Barbara Salice
- 07-09-20
Great!
Loved it! So detailed. Dying to find the movie? Can you direct me to it?
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- R Thomas
- 11-01-20
What a great book
I had been wanting to check this out for a while because I love a good heist story.
By the end I was rooting for the criminals and I loved it.
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- Lawrence
- 04-10-13
Near Flawless
If you could sum up Flawless in three words, what would they be?
Summing the book in three words contradicts the requirements of 15 words minimum. Great overall story of the theft along with the workings of the diamond world. Although it is written like the story is completey accurate the reality is that the story is not flawless. The story is all based upon evidence and accounts other than those of the crinimals. When the book concludes it becomes evident that the real story from the thieves perspective was never told. But that is also part of intrigue as you do not come to that fimr conclusion until the end.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Flawless?
The ah ha moment when the determined they could get into the safe.
What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?
Performance was a good narration with no character voices. Nice for a change from the narrators who perform versus narrate.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Found myself pulling for the main character
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- Jennifer
- 06-04-12
Interesting But Not Riveting
THIS REVIEW IS ABOUT THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION
BOOK DESCRIPTION
The subtitle for the book pretty much sums up the topic: “Inside the Largest Diamond Heist In History.” The description from Amazon does a pretty good job of giving you an overview of the details so I don’t have to:
On February 15, 2003, a group of thieves broke into an allegedly airtight vault in the international diamond capital of Antwerp, Belgium and made off with over $108 million dollars worth of diamonds and other valuables. They did so without tripping an alarm or injuring a single guard in the process.
Although the crime was perfect, the getaway was not. The police zeroed in on a band of professional thieves fronted by Leonardo Notarbartolo, a dapper Italian who had rented an office in the Diamond Center and clandestinely cased its vault for over two years. The who of the crime had been answered, but the how remained largely a mystery.
Enter Scott Andrew Selby, a Harvard Law grad and diamond expert, and Greg Campbell, author of Blood Diamonds, who undertook a global goose chase to uncover the true story behind the daring heist. Tracking the threads of the story throughout Europe from Belgium to Italy, in seedy cafes and sleek diamond offices, the authors sorted through an array of conflicting details, divergent opinions and incongruous theories to put together the puzzle of what actually happened that Valentines Day weekend.
This real-life Ocean’s Eleven, a combination of diamond history, journalistic reportage, and riveting true-crime story, provides a thrilling in-depth study detailing the better-than-fiction heist of the century.
MY THOUGHTS
For the most part, I think the description above is pretty accurate … with the possible exception of the phrase “a thrilling in-depth study detailing the better-than-fiction heist of the century.” This particular story probably isn’t better than fiction, for, as the authors point out multiple times throughout the book, real-life isn’t as glamorous or as fast-moving as fictional heists, like the ones depicted in the Ocean’s Eleven series of films. The thieves spent almost two years planning and plotting, and the heist itself didn’t rely on high-tech devices, disguises or split-second timing. In fact, the amazing thing about this story is that it was the lax security provided by the HUMANS at the Diamond Center that enabled the thieves to pull off the crime … plus a bit of duct tape, hair spray, styrofoam and a long broom handle!
The book provides a balanced mix of the particulars of the heist (both before, during and after, including the subsequent detective work) and the history of diamonds, the diamond district in Antwerp and past diamond heists. What bogs the book down is that no one (except for the actual thieves) know all the details of the heist. Selby and Campbell do a good job of creating a plausible scenario but there are still key details that have not been nailed down … and the thieves aren’t yet willing to spill the beans. (Although Notarbartolo sold his “inside” story to Wired magazine, the authors conclude that his account was an elaborate bit of fiction designed to minimize his own involvement and disguise the actual size of the heist.)
Although the heist itself was allegedly a “perfect” crime, one small mistake (and a bit of bad luck) led to their almost instantaneous capture, which was almost disappointing to me as a reader. Part of me yearned for the neat conclusion of the Ocean’s Eleven movies … where the gang walks away scot-free and leaves everyone scratching their heads. The other thing that was weird to me was how little punishment the thieves ended up facing—based in no small part on the Belgian justice system.
Overall, the book was interesting and kept my attention, but I’d still rather watch Ocean’s Eleven.
About the Narration: Don Hagen has a deep voice that was well-suited to this particular book. He effortlessly pronounced the Italian and Belgian surnames and the rather complicated sounding Antwerp street names.
Recommended for: Readers who enjoy true crime books that aren’t violent or involve murder
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8 people found this helpful
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- DS
- 12-18-12
the Con Man as hero
The biggest heist in history, well conceived, well executed and then.... hasty mistakes.
What I found interesting was not that it could be done but rather how seemingly ineffective the Belgian police, Italian police and, I guess, Interpol were and how very short the prison sentence handed down. 5 years for a $100,000,000.00 heist? Hardly a deterrence, more like the price of doing business. And also, what's with being held for 18 months without charges filed? Ah, many things European are a mystery to me BUT I would advise all career criminals to ply their trade in Europe rather than the US
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4 people found this helpful